Hobgoblins
Hobgoblin was a name "for the larger kinds"[1] of Orcs found in Middle-earth in the Third Age. In the quest for Erebor, Gandalf warns Bilbo Baggins that the Grey Mountains are "simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description".[2]
Other versions of the legendarium[edit]
The term appears only once in The Hobbit. It has been speculated that "the term perhaps, but doubtfully, refers to the large soldier-orcs known as Uruks"[3], possibly since Tolkien had not created the latter name by the time of his writing of The Hobbit.
In a 1971 letter to Roger Lancelyn Green, Tolkien commented that "the statement that hobgoblins were 'a larger kind' is the reverse of the original truth."[4]
Portrayals in Adaptations[edit]
1996, 1997: Middle-earth Collectible Card Game:
- The card "Hobgoblins" was released in two editions: one for the expansion set Middle-earth: The Dragons (card art by Ron Chironna) and one for Middle-earth: The Lidless Eye (card art by Heather Hudson).
2018: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- Hobgoblins are a breed of large, tusked Orc-kind found in the Grey Mountains. They are not servants of Sauron and instead belong to the Frost-horde, followers of the dragon Hrímil Frost-heart. Hrímil was imprisoned in the dungeons of Barad-dûr for refusing to give up one of Seven Rings that she had swallowed. For this, the Frost-horde and all hobgoblins detest Sauron and his followers, only allying with them briefly as part of deception to further their own plans.
External links[edit]
| Legendary races of Arda | |
| Animals: | Dumbledors · Gorcrows · Hummerhorns · Pards · Swans of Gorbelgod · Turtle-fish |
|---|---|
| Dragon-kind: | Sea-serpents · Spark-dragons · Were-worms |
| Evil Races: | Ettens · Giants · Half-trolls · Hobgoblins · Ogres · Snow-trolls · Two-headed Trolls |
| Other: | Badger-folk · Great beasts · Lintips · Mewlips · Nameless things · Spectres |
| Individuals: | Talking Gurthang · Talking purse · The Hunter · Lady of the Sun · Lonely Troll · Man in the Moon · The Rider · River-woman · Tarlang · Tim · Tom · White cow |
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 319, (dated 8 January 1971)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Queer Lodgings"
- ↑ "Hobgoblins", at Encyclopedia of Arda, as of 5 September 2010
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 319, (dated 8 January 1971)
